


Monsters

by EriannaCousland



Series: Cally Lockhart [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aurors, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Canon Compliant, Daddy Issues, Death Eaters, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friendly black dog, House Elves, Loss of Parent(s), Lucius Malfoy Smut, Manipulative Relationship, Marriage, Murder, Plot Twists, Poor Life Choices, Possessive Behavior, Romance, Strong Female Characters, Villains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:15:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29532543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EriannaCousland/pseuds/EriannaCousland
Summary: Cally Lockhart, a promising young Auror and Gilderoy's niece, encounters Lucius Malfoy - a man whose reputation precedes him. He begins to develop an infatuation with Cally, who quickly comes to return his affections. The two begin an affair amidst the turbulent times of Voldemort's return to power - but Lucius's past repeatedly comes back to haunt them. Can Cally reconcile the man she loves with the Death Eater she knew he used to be? Has Lucius truly renounced his old master? And can Cally protect Harry Potter from the threat she knows is lurking at Hogwarts?
Relationships: Charlie Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Lucius Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks
Series: Cally Lockhart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169645
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first ever fanfic and was originally posted on Wattpad under the same name. This AO3 version has undergone some editing, mainly grammar-related. I really hope you enjoy it! :)

_"The Muses are my friends, my poems are dear to the reader, and Calliope never wearies of dancing to my rhythms."_

\- Propertius, Elegies 3. 2

***

Dawn was just breaking over the picturesque Wiltshire countryside, and Calliope Lockhart was striding towards the huge iron gates of a stately manor house. Her long brown curls hung loose down her back, swaying with each step. A party of three others, two men and another woman, followed briskly behind her. They each held a wand in their hands.

"I'll let you introduce us, Arthur," said Cally to the younger of the two men, as the group approached the gates. A gravel path and elegant fountain lay beyond, surrounded by landscaped gardens and well-manicured hedges. The grand Gothic manor lay in the centre, regal and imposing.

"Right you are, Cally," replied Arthur Weasley, a balding, red-headed man dressed in slightly shabby green robes. "I'm sure Lucius will be extremely welcoming, as always."

The second woman chuckled heartily. "Let's hope we get to catch him in his pyjamas," she said, a large grin on her face.

Arthur stepped up to the centre of the gates and tapped the metal with his wand. Something resembling a face materialised within the wrought-iron, and a pompous voice asked, "Name and purpose?"

"Arthur Weasley and Bernard Perkins, of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, accompanied by Calliope Lockhart and Nymphadora Tonks, of the Auror Office, here to conduct a raid on behalf of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," replied Arthur firmly.

The gate's face appeared to wrinkle its metal nose at them, but then said, "Permission granted. Enter."

Cally had been expecting the gates to physically open, but nothing happened. Instead, Arthur stepped right through them as if they were made of nothing more than smoke.

"They're imbued with the same type of selective entrance charm as the portal to Platform Nine and Three Quarters," he said, looking back over his shoulder as Perkins wheezed through the gates to stand beside him. "Rather clever really..."

The party crunched their way along the gravel path, Tonks nearly tripping head-first over a pure white peacock that had come strutting out from a nearby hedge.

"Try not to flatten my pets, Nymphadora," said a cold, hard voice from the front steps of the manor.

Lucius Malfoy cut an intimidating figure, even at half past six in the morning. He was fully dressed in elegant black robes with silk trimmings, his long white-blond hair hung loose to a few inches below his shoulders, and he held a sinister-looking walking cane in his left hand. In his right he held a copy of the Daily Prophet. Cally was immediately on her guard; her superiors at the Auror Office had warned her that the handle of Malfoy's cane concealed his wand.

Tonks had obviously clocked this as well, because she regained her composure and said cheerfully, "Wotcher, Uncle Lucius. I'm going to need you to hand over that cane if you don't mind."

Lucius Malfoy looked at her with utter contempt, but thrust the cane into her outstretched hand nonetheless. He surveyed them all with narrowed eyes. He gave Mr Weasley a condescending look and smiled coldly. "How many times are we going to keep doing this, Arthur?" he said quietly. His accent was clipped and upper-class. "Perhaps you just love visiting the manor - I don't doubt it gives you a nice break from your mouse-infested hovel."

Arthur gave him a tight smile in return. "I wouldn't have to keep _visiting,_ Lucius, if you didn't insist on continuing to purchase illegal artefacts for your little collection."

Lucius remained silent, his eyebrows lifting slightly as they fell on Cally. She held his gaze. Cally knew from second-hand accounts that Malfoy was all pomp and grandeur, but there was little power he could wield with two Aurors present.

Lucius's grey eyes slid slowly from her to Tonks, before turning back to Arthur and remarking, "I see you've brought the cavalry this time, Weasley. Is Perkins here not an adequate bodyguard for you?"

Cally smirked at the joke. Perkins was very elderly, with snow-white hair and an aged stoop. Malfoy caught her eye briefly.

Perkins jumped at the mention of his name and proceeded to pat down the front of his robes. He soon produced a folded piece of parchment, and held it up to Malfoy with a frail, shaking hand. "Official search warrant," he wheezed.

Malfoy took the document and opened it with a flourish, glanced over it disdainfully, then turned around to open the main doors. "Be quick about it then," he sneered, standing to one side so they could enter.

Tonks and Arthur filed in first, followed by Perkins. When Cally attempted to pass by, Malfoy stopped her, a long-fingered hand gently holding her shoulder.

"I don't believe we have been introduced," he said quietly. "I like to know exactly who is entering my home against my will."

Cally looked up at him. He was very tall; she barely reached his shoulder. She was standing close enough to smell a rather pleasant, spicy fragrance emanating from his robes. She cleared her throat and said, "Calliope Lockhart, Mr Malfoy. Junior Auror."

He continued to stare, his eyes roving over her face, until she felt so uncomfortable that she had to look away.

"I know you," he said. "Gilderoy's niece. Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain and Head Girl, were you not? And Scrimgeour's new protegee... Tell me, how is your uncle faring these days?"

Cally wasn't surprised that he knew so much about her. The Ministry was a small enough world at any rate, but it was common knowledge that Lucius Malfoy made it his business to know everyone else's.

"He's making small improvements," she said. "He still can't remember much at all from before his accident."

Malfoy nodded. "A very unfortunate incident to befall such a... _prominent_ wizard," he said delicately.

Cally frowned, sensing his sarcasm. "He will likely be in St Mungo's for the rest of his life," she replied coldly.

Gilderoy Lockhart was something of a laughing stock amongst the wizarding community since his backfired charm had wiped his entire memory and damaged his mind irreparably. Cally - who had always been very fond of her uncle - made an effort to stick up for him whenever he was mentioned in conversation.

Malfoy gazed at Cally for a long moment, saying nothing. Then he turned away, gesturing for her to enter the manor. "Please be careful with my possessions - I imagine just one would be worth more than your entire year's salary." He moved towards a doorway on the right that opened into an opulent sitting room. "If you require any information or assistance, this is where you will find me."

Cally nodded, her mouth tight.

"And I will deal only with you," he added, glancing at her. "Not Weasley or the rest of your motley crew."

Cally was a little taken aback, but nodded once more and quickly proceeded into the main house. She found Tonks and Perkins rummaging through a black cabinet in the drawing room, adjacent to the hallway.

"Sneakoscope's going wild in here," remarked Tonks, glancing over her shoulder as Cally entered the room and quietly shut the door behind her.

Cally ran a hand through her curls. Meeting Lucius Malfoy for the first time had left her feeling strangely drained. "Your uncle's really something, Tonks," she said, leaning against the door.

Tonks pulled out a golden box from within the cabinet and shook it gently, making it rattle. "Oh, he's alright. The Malfoys are a pain in the backside but I don't think they're any real threat," she replied, tentatively opening up the lid of the box. "Be thankful you haven't met my Aunt Bellatrix!"

Cally laughed as Tonks pulled a small bottle containing red liquid out of the box and immediately dropped it. Quick as a flash, Cally waved her wand and it stopped falling and hung suspended in mid-air. Tonks took the bottle and swirled the liquid around, holding it up to her face to appraise the contents.

"Looks like dragon's blood, but I can't be sure," she said, handing it to Cally.

"I'm not opening it to find out," she replied, eyeing the bottle with distaste. She conjured a silk bag with her wand, and slipped it inside. "Anything we aren't sure about, put in here. I'll take this to Malfoy when we're finished and ask him to identify them."

"Righto," said Tonks cheerfully, already elbow deep in the cabinet once more. Perkins had retreated to a nearby armchair and seemed to be nodding off.

"Where are his wife and son?" asked Cally, suddenly realising the rest of the Malfoy family were nowhere to be seen.

Perkins stirred and squinted at Cally. "Lucius usually ensures Narcissa and Draco aren't here when we conduct a raid," he said. "They have properties all over the country where they can keep out of the way."

"I don't doubt that," replied Cally. "Right, I'd better go and see if Arthur needs any help."

She retreated back into the hallway and made for the grand double staircase that led to the upper rooms. She glanced inside the open door of the sitting room as she passed by, and saw Lucius's eyes following her over the top of the Daily Prophet, purplish pipe smoke hanging in the air around his head. Cally shivered slightly; something about Malfoy was putting her on edge.

Arthur was poking about in a wardrobe in what must be the master bedroom. The room was immense in size, a beautiful four-poster bed carved from mahogany standing against the far wall, with dark green velvet drapes and silver embroidered pillowcases.

"There'll be nothing here of course," Mr Weasley muttered as he rummaged through the pockets of various cloaks in the wardrobe. "We have to give him notice of these raids by law, so he ships anything dodgy off to one of his other homes before we arrive."

Cally made her way through another set of doors to the left of the bed, and found herself in a sumptuous bathroom decorated in black and gold. She ran a hand along the rim of the golden bathtub.

"They're certainly not skimping on the fixtures and fittings are they?" she remarked, thinking of her own rather modest one-bedroom flat back in London.

"They put an awful lot of value in material wealth, the Malfoys," called Arthur from the bedroom. His voice sounded muffled, as if his head was now entirely inside the wardrobe he was investigating. "And not a lot else..."

Cally pulled out her pocket sneakoscope and let it rest in her palm, but it remained still and silent.

Arthur's muffled voice called again from the bedroom, "Cally? Would you mind having a look around in the library for me? I know he's got a lot of old grimoires in there; some of them might need to be examined. It's to your left out of here and behind the door at the end of the corridor."

"Sure thing, Arthur."

Cally left the bedroom and found her way to the library. It was still and quiet in there, full of the pent up magical energy that occurred where many spellbooks were stored together. The room itself was hexagonal, with shelves lining the walls from floor to ceiling. In the centre was an imposing writing desk with quills, ink bottles and parchment.

She approached the closest of the bookshelves and began to glance at the titles on the spines. _A Complete Anthology of Death Omens_ , _Venomous Vipers of Venezuela_ , and _The Left Hand Path: Black Magick for the Modern Mugwump_ were just a few of the select titles contained within the Malfoy library.

A sudden change in the atmosphere of the room caused the hairs on the back of Cally's neck to stand on end. She whirled around, drawing her wand.

Lucius Malfoy was standing in the doorway, an elaborate glossy black smoking pipe in his hand.

"No need to point that at me, Miss Lockhart," he said, moving into the room to stand before one of the shelves. Cally lowered her wand but didn't put it away. He had made her uneasy by sneaking up on her like that.

"What do you think of my library?" he asked, gesturing around the room.

"I-Impressive," she stammered.

He smirked. "This is a collection stretching back sixteen generations, amassed by both the Malfoys and the Blacks," he said boastfully.

"The Blacks...?"

"My wife's family," he replied, his face clouding slightly. "A most noble and ancient house."

He turned away, one hand clasped behind his back, and drew on the pipe.

"Quite the lineage," Cally said softly, watching the cloud of smoke billow around him. She moved closer, looking around at all the books. "This collection makes the restricted section at Hogwarts look like a bunch of children's stories."

Malfoy looked down at her and chuckled. "How old are you anyway? You look far too young to be a fully qualified Auror," he said, rather snidely.

"With all due respect, Mr Malfoy, my age isn't relevant," Cally replied curtly. "I have a job to do."

She turned around and began pulling volumes out of the shelves at random to inspect. "If you must know, I'm twenty two," she said unashamedly. "I've been qualified for over a year."

Malfoy tutted and rolled his eyes. "I should have known that fool Weasley would hire a pair of children as security," he muttered venomously. "And my _dear_ niece must be even younger than you."

"Tonks is only a year away from qualifying," Cally replied. "And she is an extremely capable witch."

He snorted. "Yes, well... she and my wife do not see eye to eye."

Cally said nothing as she flicked through one of the books she was holding. She knew exactly why the Malfoys disliked Tonks - because her father was a Muggleborn wizard, and the Malfoys despised anyone who wasn't a so-called 'pure-blood'.

She looked up after a few seconds to find Malfoy watching her. She felt heat rising in her face and quickly turned away to replace the books.

"Any cursed books in here?" she asked, surveying the rest of the shelves. "I'm aware there were some accusations thrown around a couple of years ago about you possessing one of You-Know-Who's old school books."

It was Malfoy's turn to look embarrassed. "Those accusations were... not proven," he said, before adding, "There is nothing dangerous within this room."

"I'm sure you won't mind if I check the validity of that statement," Cally replied, quickly pointing her wand at Malfoy before he could react. " _Legilimens!_ "

Malfoy's eyebrows shot upwards, betraying his shock. Cally gently probed his thoughts, surprised that he hadn't deployed any defences against her. She searched his mind for information about the contents of the library, her blue eyes staring unblinkingly into his grey ones. It seemed he was indeed telling the truth.

She was about to lower her wand, when a thought suddenly crossed through his mind for Cally to see. A thought about her. He immediately forced her to break contact by throwing up a mental barrier.

"None of that," he chided coldly, and strode out of the room.

The rest of the search produced only a small selection of suspicious items, all of which were cleared as harmless by Lucius Malfoy. Mr Weasley took them in for examination regardless.

"Never trust that man," Arthur advised strongly as the group trudged back down the gravel drive of Malfoy Manor. Cally clutched the silk bag containing Malfoy's possessions. "Lucius always claimed he was under the Imperius curse when he worked with the Death Eaters during You-Know-Who's time."

"I suppose there's no way to prove he wasn't," Cally replied.

"Exactly. But I don't know of anyone branded with the Dark Mark who wasn't acting of their own free will. He was right in the Dark Lord's inner circle," said Arthur gravely. "A very slippery character indeed. I'd love to get him for possession of a cursed object... give him the stint in Azkaban he wriggled out of after You-Know-Who's downfall..."

Cally furrowed her brow, lost in thought. She didn't much like Malfoy after her first meeting with him - especially his opinion of Tonks, who was one of her closest friends - but there was something about him that intrigued her. Was it his legendary wealth and influence within the magical world? Or possibly the many curious rumours that flew around about the Malfoys and their shady past?

Something inspired her to look back at the mansion before they exited through the gates. Lucius Malfoy was again standing on the front steps, cane in hand, watching them leave. A pair of white peacocks strutted around near the fountain. Cally shivered.

She passed through the vaporous metal gates, turned on the spot, and with a loud _crack_ she apparated back to the Ministry of Magic.


	2. Fudge for Lunch

Cally had soon put the encounter with Lucius Malfoy out of her mind. Her work as an Auror was very intensive and she pushed herself further than any of the other new recruits. Between working long shifts at the Ministry she barely had time to eat when she stumbled into her flat after work, desperately in need of sleep.

Cally had always had a strong work ethic, even during her time at Hogwarts. She had been a prefect, Head Girl and captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Her house had won the Quidditch Cup three years consecutively during her captaincy. She had achieved top grades at OWL and NEWT level, and the Auror Office had snatched her up quickly when she graduated. Her Uncle Gilderoy hadn't even needed to write Cally a letter of recommendation, which had been a relief as he wasn't able to write legibly back then.

Gilderoy Lockhart had been something of a substitute father for Cally during her formative years. Her real father had been Gilderoy's older brother, but he had been murdered by Lord Voldemort during his reign of terror. Cally had only been eight years old at the time of his death, but it had been the event that had inspired her to work hard and become an Auror. Her uncle's fame and exploits had brought her family a lot of attention until he had suffered the accident two years ago. Since then he had been a live-in patient at St Mungo's, and the Lockhart family had quietly carried on with their lives.

It had been two weeks since the raid at Malfoy Manor, and Cally was rushing to get ready for work. She pulled on a pair of black jeans, a cream-coloured sleeveless blouse and her black dragonhide Auror's jacket. Then she dragged a brush through her waist-length brown curls. Cally had inherited her mother's brunette hair, but had the Lockhart family's bright blue eyes, high cheek-bones and full lips.

That morning there would be an important meeting at the Ministry that Cally was expected to attend. Britain was due to host the Quidditch World Cup in two weeks time, and Cally and the rest of the Auror Office had been busy preparing security measures for the event. The meeting was to be another briefing about the concealment charms required to hide the stadium and camp grounds from any nearby Muggles.

Cally laced up her black boots, grabbed her wand, and approached the old fireplace in the lounge area of her flat. Reaching into a small pot on the mantelpiece, she threw a handful of powder into the grate, which immediately produced flickering green flames. Cally stepped into the fire and said, "Ministry of Magic!" in a firm, clear voice.

A few seconds later she was stepping out into the main Atrium of the Ministry, where there were already a great deal of workers milling around. She made her way past the fountain in the centre and headed for one of the elevators. Heads turned to look at her curiously as she passed. People always found Aurors interesting, but Cally was particularly intriguing. She had made quite a name for herself within the Auror Office already with her skill, but her youth, looks and dress sense made her stand out even more. Most of the older Aurors wore traditional robes to work. 

Jamming herself into an elevator with a group that was just leaving, she reached around a plump witch and pressed the button for level two.

"Morning, Calliope!"

Cally looked around. Squashed into the back of the elevator was Arthur Weasley, waving in her direction.

"Morning, Arthur. Are you off to the World Cup meeting too?"

"Afraid not - my department isn't required today," he said, as the elevator clunked and juddered, descending downwards. "Would you mind sharing the details with me? I've got tickets to the match!" He looked very enthusiastic about the prospect.

Cally smiled and said, "No problem, Arthur. I'll send you a memo after lunch."

The elevator clanged to a halt and a cool female voice announced, "Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including Auror Headquarters, Improper Use of Magic Office and Wizengamot Administration Services."

Cally, Arthur and another wizard squeezed themselves out of the elevator and into the corridor beyond.

"Catch you later, Arthur," said Cally, and opened a door on her right labelled 'Meeting Room Three'.

It was a fairly large room, with high windows on one side displaying a magically-generated scene of a London park. Around twenty to thirty chairs had been set out in rows in front of a small podium, and many of them were already filled.

A few heads turned as she entered. Most soon looked away again, but one man caught her eye as she passed by. It was Lucius Malfoy.

He was staring at her with an odd expression, his lip curled in a slight smirk. He gave Cally a small nod and resumed his conversation with the wizard seated next to him.

Cally, who had hesitantly returned the nod, soon spotted an empty seat at the far end of the row and sat down quickly, feeling oddly flustered. She leaned forward slightly and glanced down the line of chairs towards Malfoy, who was seated in the row in front of her. He briefly glanced at her over the shoulder of the wizard he was talking to. Cally sat back, out of his line of sight. She was gripping her wand in her pocket.

"Wotcher, Cally." It was Tonks, making her way down the same row, knocking over a chair in the process.

"Oh - Tonks, good to see you."

"Is Dawlish here? I need to give him a message from Mad-Eye," said Tonks, sitting down and craning her neck as she looked around the room.

"I don't think so, there's a few minutes yet until we're due to start," replied Cally, glancing at her watch. "How's Mad-Eye doing?"

Tonks settled herself into her chair. "Oh he's alright. A bit jumpy for some reason, but what's new? Seems to think someone has been skulking around his house at night," she said.

Cally frowned. "Well, he's always had good instincts."

"True, but I think he's getting a bit paranoid now he's retired. Needs something to focus his mind on, you know?" replied Tonks conversationally. "Would you like a cuppa?"

She produced her wand and conjured two steaming cups of tea. Cally nodded and took the cup and saucer gratefully.

"I see Malfoy is here," she murmured, raising the cup to her lips.

"Yeah. Dunno what he wants," Tonks muttered, slopping a bit of tea down her front. "Probably here to rub shoulders with Fudge."

"Speak of the devil," said Cally, as Cornelius Fudge himself strode through the door and made his way to the podium.

A hush had fallen over the room, which was now full of Ministry personnel. Fudge took off his lime green bowler hat and began, "Morning all, morning! I'm going to keep my part brief, we are here to discuss concealment spells that will be necessary for the final of the Quidditch World Cup. Obviously we must maintain the Statute of Secrecy, protect the Muggles, et cetera, and so I will hand over now to our Head Auror, Rufus Scrimgeour, who will give us an overview of the proposals the Auror Office have drawn up with the assistance of Mr Ludo Bagman-" Fudge gestured to a burly, round-faced wizard seated in front of him, "- of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

He stepped down from the podium and went to sit in the empty chair on the other side of Lucius Malfoy. They seem very well-acquainted, Cally thought as she watched them greet each other.

Scrimgeour, a grizzled grey-haired wizard, was Cally's boss at the Ministry. He was a very accomplished Auror with a no-nonsense personality, and he had taken a shine to Cally when she entered the Auror Training Programme after leaving Hogwarts.

Cally pulled parchment and quill out of her pocket and began taking notes as Scrimgeour started to speak. Tonks glanced over and whispered, "Can I look at those after the meeting? I've forgotten my quill again."

The meeting dragged on for over an hour. Cally, who's stomach had begun to rumble, was thinking about what she might have for lunch at the Ministry canteen. Once the meeting came to a close, she and Tonks stood up.

"Oh, there's Dawlish! I'd better go, Cally," said Tonks, knocking over another chair as she clambered across the row to get to their colleague. "See you later!"

"Bye, Tonks," smiled Cally, picking up the chair in her friend's wake and gently setting it upright again.

She had nearly reached the door when someone stepped in front of her, blocking her exit. Lucius Malfoy stood before her, cane in hand, a small smile playing on his thin lips.

"Well, well... we meet again, Miss Lockhart," he drawled in his crisp, aristocratic accent.

Cally looked up at him, nodded in acknowledgement and replied, "Mr Malfoy... what brings you here?"

He hesitated before responding, "I am due to have lunch with the Minister today. As I have tickets to the World Cup, I thought it would be prudent to take an interest in the security meetings, so I've arrived a little early in order to attend both."

_So Tonks was exactly right_ , Cally thought, _he's here because he's nosy and wants to hobnob with Fudge._

"I haven't seen you at any of the other meetings, sir," she replied.

His grey eyes glittered. "I intend to come along to as many as I can from now on. As a person of influence in the magical community, it pays for me to know what the Ministry is planning when it comes to such a huge event," he said silkily.

"I'm sure," replied Cally. She found his continuous need to reinforce his own importance rather amusing.

"Ah, there you are, Lucius," said a familiar voice. Cornelius Fudge came to stand beside Malfoy and looked at Cally expectantly. Assuming this was her cue to leave, Cally began to say her goodbyes, but Fudge interrupted.

"I see you've met our promising new Auror!" he said, beaming from her to Malfoy.

Cally, who had never actually spoken to Fudge personally, looked at him in surprise.

"Yes, yes..." Fudge continued, "This is the niece of poor Gilderoy Lockhart, Lucius. Calliope, isn't it? Tell me dear, how is your uncle?"

"He's well enough, thank you, Minister," Cally replied politely.

"Yes, yes," said Fudge again, twiddling his hat in his hands. "Scrimgeour speaks extremely highly of you, Calliope, very highly indeed."

"I'm sure we can expect great things," said Malfoy, cocking an eyebrow at Cally. He seemed to want to say something else. His mouth twitched, and then he continued hesitantly, "Ah, Fudge...? Perhaps Miss Lockhart would like to join us for lunch? I'm sure you can give her some pointers on making a successful career at the Ministry..."

Fudge beamed again and looked back at Cally. "Yes, what a splendid idea! I'd be delighted to have you join us, dear," he patted her shoulder in a fatherly way. "That is, if you don't mind spending your lunch hour with a couple of old warlocks like us!"

Malfoy looked disgruntled at being referred to as an 'old warlock', but he turned to stare at Cally, waiting for her reply.

"Oh, er..." she began. She wasn't at all keen to have lunch with Malfoy, and was baffled as to why he would even ask her, but she thought it would be foolish to pass on the opportunity to get friendlier with the Minister for Magic. "I would love to," she finished, forcing a smile.

"Splendid, splendid!" said Fudge, "We were going to pop over to The Veela's Gaze, I hope that suits you."

Cally swallowed nervously. The Veela's Gaze was a very upmarket restaurant in Diagon Alley, frequented by the wealthy and prestigious members of the magical community.

"Perfect," she replied weakly. She desperately wanted to check how much money she had with her, as she wasn't sure she could afford even a gillywater at this particular establishment.

The trio set off down the corridor and made for one of the golden elevators. Cally found herself pressed up rather tightly between Fudge and Malfoy, and tried to keep her head down to avoid bumping her forehead against the latter's chin. She kept catching hints of that same pleasant, spicy smell on his robes. There were many choruses of 'afternoon Minister' from various employees as they left the elevator and crossed the atrium.

They separated when they reached the Floo exits, and Fudge and Malfoy each stepped into an emerald fire and firmly said, "The Leaky Cauldron!"

Cally followed and soon found herself in the familiar dingy bar area of the pub. It was fairly busy, but a hush fell when the customers realised Fudge and Malfoy had arrived. Cally nodded to one of her colleagues, Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was enjoying a bowl of stew at a corner table with another Auror. He raised an eyebrow and gave her a questioning look when he saw Lucius Malfoy take her elbow and steer her through the pub. She shrugged and waved over her shoulder.

Malfoy only let go of her once they had arrived in the little courtyard where the dustbins were kept. Cally was very aware of where he had gripped her, and she rubbed her elbow absently as Fudge tapped the necessary bricks with his wand.

"Lovely place, The Gaze, if you haven't been there before," Fudge was saying. The portal opened up in front of him and they stepped into the bright, sunlit street beyond. "It's entirely staffed by Veela, but they don't use their powers on customers of course."

"Not unless you pay extra," added Lucius, smirking.

"Now, now, Lucius! We aren't supposed to know that!" Fudge chuckled, as he led the way to a beautiful building sandwiched between a fancy stationers and a magical perfumery. "Yes, here we are..."

He tapped on the door with his wand. A stunningly beautiful blonde woman opened it, bowed to Fudge, and said in a sensual voice, "Minister, we have been expecting you, and Mr Malfoy, how nice... and we have an extra guest I see..."

Cally shifted uncomfortably, aware that she was horribly under-dressed for lunch there.

"Yes, yes... do we have room for one more, Ophelia?" asked Fudge. "This is Calliope Lockhart, one of our best young Aurors at the Ministry."

Ophelia the Veela bowed deeply. "An honour to meet your acquaintance, Miss Lockhart. Your Uncle Gilderoy was a favourite customer of ours," she said, straightening up.

"Mmm..." was all Cally could manage.

They followed Ophelia to a small table, already laid for three.

"Something to drink, Miss Lockhart?" asked Malfoy, removing his cloak and handing it to a passing Veela. He was wearing black robes with a crisp white shirt underneath, a dark green cravat and smart black trousers.

He does dress well, Cally mused, as she lowered herself gingerly onto the chair opposite. "Just a cup of tea, please."

"I'll have a lime cordial, Lucius, if you're buying!" winked Fudge, already seated next to Cally and surveying a menu.

"Tea for two - Earl Grey - and a lime cordial," Malfoy said to Ophelia, who nodded and left at once.

Malfoy and Fudge made small talk as the drinks arrived. Cally made to pour her own tea, but Malfoy batted her hand away softly and said, "Allow me."

Fudge turned to her and said conspiratorially, "He's all charm, Lucius, until you start to beat him at anything."

"Nonsense Fudge, when have I ever been the competitive type?" replied Malfoy, giving Cally a small smile as he handed her a beautiful turquoise cup full of steaming bergamot-scented tea.

Fudge had Cally tell him all about her uncle's health over lunch, which consisted of several elaborate courses. By the time they had reached pudding, a charming crème brulee flavoured with lavender, the Minister suddenly declared that he was nipping off to the bathroom. Cally was left alone with Malfoy.

"Do you like the food?" he asked, picking up his spoon.

"Yes, it's quite something isn't it?"

"I've always found it a little fussy, to tell the truth, but the Minister does love it here."

Cally pushed her crème brulee around the bowl, feeling awkward. She glanced up at Malfoy, and found him staring at her.

"Why did you invite me here?" she asked, without thinking.

He sat back in his chair and placed both palms flat on the table. Cally stared at his hands. His fingers were long and slender, and he wore a gold signet ring that looked as if it had a carving of a dragon on it.

"I wanted to get to know you. You seem to have a promising career ahead of you at the Ministry," he said delicately. "And I was impressed by your careful handling of the, ah - raid - at the manor." He looked a little embarrassed.

"Oh, er... I was just doing my job," Cally said.

"I have a fairly large collection of magical artefacts and antiques. With the Ministry tightening regulations on such objects... well, I'm afraid I may have to sell many of my possessions..."

Cally said nothing. Another blonde-haired Veela approached to take their bowls away.

"Anything else, sir?" she purred at Malfoy.

"The bill," he said curtly.

She looked a little taken aback at his abruptness, but bowed and disappeared behind an elaborate marble counter.

"Not a fan of the Veela?" asked Cally quietly.

Malfoy smirked. "Not all gentlemen prefer blondes, Miss Lockhart," he replied, examining his watch.

Cally stared at him in surprise as a figure bustled around the back of her chair. It was Fudge.

"All done, then? I had better get back to the office, I've got to visit the Muggle Prime Minister later to inform him about the World Cup," he said, plucking his cloak from the waiting hands of Ophelia the Veela.

Malfoy paid the bill and they left the restaurant, Ophelia bowing as they passed through the door.

"Thank you for lunch," Cally said to Malfoy, after Fudge had bid them farewell and disapparated.

"It was my pleasure," he replied. "May I escort you back to the Ministry?"

Cally hesitated, "No, it's alright. I'll make my own way."

Malfoy nodded and said, "I am sure we will be seeing more of each other, Miss Lockhart. Until then... adieu." He inclined his head in farewell, and strode away down the alley towards Gringott's.

Cally stared after him, lost in thought.


	3. The Black Bouquet

Cally returned to her desk at the Auror Office feeling very distracted. The lunch had certainly been an unexpected occurrence, but not exactly unpleasant. She caught herself thinking about Lucius Malfoy several times whilst writing out Mr Weasley's memo about the meeting that morning. Cally folded the purple memo into an aeroplane and waved her wand. The paper plane zoomed into the air, destined for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office down the corridor.

Her mind wandered back to Malfoy. _Why can't I get him out of my head?_ she thought, feeling irritated.

Maybe it was her inexperience in dealing with men. Her father had died when she was very young, her uncle had always been off travelling or busy writing books for most of her subsequent life, and she had been so obsessed with her education and career that she had never made time for relationships. Cally had been on a couple of mediocre dates with young men at the Ministry, but there had never been any spark that had made her want to see them again.

 _Malfoy must just be an object of fascination for me_ , Cally thought, her chin resting in her palm as she gazed into the distance.

The sudden entrance of Rufus Scrimgeour into the office made her jump.

"Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Lockhart!" he blustered as he strode into the room. "Urgent meeting, now, my office!" He made his way to the separate office at the back of the room and held the door open, waiting for them to follow.

Cally frowned at Tonks, who sat at the desk opposite her, wondering if she knew what this was about. Tonks merely shrugged and got back to her work. Cally followed Kingsley into Scrimgeour's office, closing the door behind her. Scrimgeour stood leaning against the front of his solid wooden desk, looking grim.

"Interesting news from Azkaban," he began, running a hand through his thick mane-like hair.

"Not another breakout?" asked Kingsley, sounding alarmed.

Scrimgeour waved a hand dismissively. "No, no, nothing like that. I've just had a report that some of the imprisoned Death Eater's Dark Marks are growing more visible."

"That can't be good," muttered Dawlish.

"We unfortunately don't know what this means -" began Scrimgeour.

Cally cleared her throat.

"- yes, Lockhart?"

"With all due respect sir, I think it likely means one of two things - either the prisoners are becoming stronger and resisting the Dementors' effects, or You Know Who is getting stronger and it's causing the Mark to grow more visible," she offered.

"Could be both," said Kingsley.

Scrimgeour chuckled. "Ever the Ravenclaw, aren't you, Lockhart?" he said, then turned to Kingsley. "Well, we certainly hope it isn't both. The last thing we need is another breakout from Azkaban," he said gravely.

"There have been rumours, sir, among some of the down-and-outs skulking around Knockturn Alley," murmured Dawlish. "Formation of anti-Muggle groups, lots of pro-pureblood propaganda..."

"Yes, I've heard some of these reports..." replied Scrimgeour. "And we've got Narcissa Malfoy bombarding the Minister and I with owls every day insisting that she be allowed to visit her sister..."

Cally's stomach twisted at the mention of Lucius Malfoy's wife. Narcissa was the younger sister of Bellatrix Lestrange, one of You-Know-Who's more notorious followers. Azkaban prisoners were only allowed visitors in very restricted circumstances, such as if they were gravely ill and likely to die.

"I don't like the sound of that, sir," said Kingsley in his slow, deep voice. "I say we bar her from visiting the prison at all costs."

Scrimgeour smiled grimly. "I don't know how much longer I can keep Fudge from granting her permission. You know how close he is to Lucius."

"I attended the most recent raid at Malfoy Manor and we found nothing suspicious," said Cally. "A few items were taken away to be examined but it all came back clear."

"You were with Lucius Malfoy today, Calliope," said Kingsley, giving her a piercing look.

"What? _Why?"_ asked Scrimgeour, his eyes narrowing.

Cally suddenly felt flustered. "I was invited to have lunch with him and the Minister. Something about furthering my career..." she replied, fidgeting under Scrimgeour's stare. "Nothing interesting happened," she added. "It was just lunch."

Scrimgeour looked perplexed. "Furthering your career, eh?" he repeated, sharing a look with Kingsley. "Malfoy has never shown any interest in anybody's career at the Ministry unless he seeks personal gain from their promotion."

"What could he possibly want from me? I'm just a junior Auror."

"A very talented junior Auror," Scrimgeour said seriously. "Young, and able to be influenced..."

"I may be young but I would never let someone like Lucius Malfoy influence me, sir," replied Cally hotly.

"Just be careful around him, Calliope. He can be a very slippery individual," said Kingsley.

Scrimgeour scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Of course, this could also be used for our benefit. If Malfoy's trying to get Cally on his side, for whatever reason, he can't have forgotten that she can give _us_ a lot of information on _him_."

"But I don't think he _is_ trying to get me on his side," replied Cally. "He thought I was more respectful during the raid at his house than some of the other Aurors. I think he just wanted to thank me."

"It would be prudent to monitor the situation at least. If he makes any further attempts to contact you, it would be best that you let me know," replied Scrimgeour. "The Malfoys have got many, many connections, Cally, and in this current climate I want tabs kept on them. _Especially_ Lucius. In the mean time, Dawlish and Kingsley, I'd like you two to pay a visit to Azkaban tomorrow and see the Death Eaters for yourselves. Check their marks and their general condition. I want a full report by Wednesday morning."

They exited Scrimgeour's office and Cally began to make her way back to her desk.

"Oi, Cally!" called Tonks. "You've got an admirer!" She was pointing at Cally's desk, upon which sat a large bouquet of black roses.

Cally was dumbfounded. She stopped in her tracks, causing Dawlish to nearly walk into her. Heart thumping, she approached the flowers and sat down behind her desk. There was a thick, cream-coloured message card attached to the bouquet.

_I was grateful for your company at lunch today. I would like to give you a book that I think you will find interesting. Come by the manor tomorrow evening at seven o'clock._

_\- LM_

Cally finished reading the short message and immediately broke into a sweat when she saw those initials. Panicking, she looked wildly over at Scrimgeour's office, wondering if she should burst in there and tell him. She had just told her colleagues that she didn't think Lucius Malfoy was trying to influence her, and five minutes later he'd sent flowers to her desk.

"Who're they from?" asked Tonks, leaning over her desk and grinning at Cally. "Bit macabre aren't they?"

Cally stuffed the bouquet under her desk and quickly slipped the card into her pocket. "No-one - I mean, just a friend - probably a joke..." she mumbled. She could feel Tonks staring at her as she pretended to be shuffling papers.


	4. Elf-made Wine

The next day passed by in a blur. Cally's stomach kept tying in knots every time she thought about the prospect of returning to Malfoy Manor that evening. She knew that it was unwise to go alone, and that she should tell Scrimgeour that Malfoy had invited her, but there was something stopping her. She was curious, of course - there was the matter of this mysterious book he wanted to give her - but it was more than mere curiosity that had kept her from declining the invitation.

Cally had come to realise - after lying awake for hours in bed the previous night agonising about it - that she was physically attracted to him.

Lucius Malfoy was handsome. His facial features were regal and masculine, and his pale grey eyes, long blond hair and pale skin were like nothing she had seen before. Cally was finding it very difficult to stop her thoughts from straying back to the manor, and the idea of she and Lucius alone there together.

She wasn't sure what she would do if Narcissa was going to be at home. Lucius's wife had a reputation for being cruel and snobbish, rather like her husband. She wasn't often seen in public, apparently preferring a quiet life lounging around the various properties the family owned all over the country.

Draco, on the other hand, Cally felt she could handle. She had left Hogwarts the year after Lucius's son had started at the school, so she was only eight years older than he was.

But surely, she thought, Lucius wouldn't invite her there in the evening if his family would be at home, would he? It would seem inappropriate. Or did he genuinely see her as nothing more than a young Auror whose career he wanted to boost? Cally knew he could be flamboyantly generous - he had given enormous donations to St Mungo's over the years. Perhaps he was just being... nice?

She snorted. If there was one thing Lucius Malfoy was known for, it wasn't being _nice_.

The workday passed by at a snail's pace, not helped by the fact that Cally kept glancing at the clock every few minutes to check the time. At six o'clock, when she would usually be thinking about getting ready to leave the office, Scrimgeour handed her a pile of emergency reports that needed filing, delaying her until a quarter past seven.

Signing off the final report and stuffing it hastily in the file with the others, she grabbed her bag and her jacket and said a quick goodbye to Scrimgeour before he could give her any more tasks.

Cally had intended to quickly freshen up in the women's toilets first, but when she glanced down at her watch she realised she'd better head straight to the Floo exits. Wrenching open the heavy wooden door to the Auror Office, she walked straight into somebody standing outside and staggered backwards.

"Ah, Miss Lockhart, I was beginning to think you were going to be spending the night in your charming office," said a familiar, crisp, cold voice. A firm hand steadied her.

"Mr Malfoy!" Cally spluttered, completely caught off guard. She hastily grabbed his arm and moved them away from the windows of the office, panicking in case somebody had seen him.

"Keen to get moving are we?" he said in an amused drawl, looking down at her hand tugging at his sleeve.

Cally glanced over her shoulder. "Yes - long day," she muttered, and shamelessly dragged him into the elevator at the end of the corridor.

"My, my - I'm not used to being _manhandled_ by Ministry employees," he said, straightening his dark green cloak. He lent over Cally, who was slumped against the wall of the elevator, and pressed the button to take them up to the Atrium. She flinched. His long hair had brushed her face as he bent to reach the button. 

"Sorry about that, sir," she murmured, standing straighter. The lift began to ascend.

A tiny smirk flickered across his lips. "There's no need to be so formal, Miss Lockhart, not when you are off duty."

The lift clanged to a halt and the doors opened. They stepped out into the Atrium, still bustling at this time in the evening.

"Then there's no need to call me 'Miss Lockhart', either. Cally will do fine," she said, falling into stride with him as they made their way to the Floo fireplaces.

"If you insist," he replied. "Now, the location is simply 'Malfoy Manor', as I'm sure you expected. The Floo Network will take you to the fireplace in the main hall. I shall follow shortly." He moved aside and allowed her to step into the emerald green flames.

Cally soon found herself spinning to a halt in a large marble fireplace. She stepped out, flicked the soot from her shoulders, and found herself in the opulent main hall. It was dark and quiet. _Clearly there's nobody else here_ , she thought with relief. She quickly attempted to check her face before Lucius appeared, pulling out a small compact mirror. She wasn't wearing any make-up, preferring not to at work, but her skin was surprisingly fresh and clear despite a long day and lack of sleep. Feeling a small boost of confidence, she hastily put the compact away and smoothed down the floaty purple dress she was wearing under her dragonhide jacket. She turned as the fire blazed green once more and Lucius Malfoy stepped out into his home. He clicked his fingers and lamps lit themselves all around the room.

He moved towards her and extended a hand. "May I take your jacket?"

"Er - yes, thank you."

Malfoy watched her slip out of it, then hung it with his cloak on a handsome wooden cloak-stand. He gestured for her to follow him into the same sitting room he had occupied on the day she had visited for the raid.

"Can I offer you a drink?" he asked, pointing at an elegant crystal decanter full of what looked like red wine.

Cally, who very rarely drank alcohol, hesitated.

"It isn't poisoned, my dear, don't fret," he smirked, his lip curling.

She gave him a small smile and replied, "Alright, go on then."

"It's elf-made, a rather good vintage..." he said, as he flopped lazily into a black leather armchair and kicked off his shoes. Cally stared. Seeing someone who was usually so formal do something so casual was strangely intriguing. She went to sit on the matching sofa, rather relieved there was a large, low table between them.

Lucius waved his wand, producing two large goblets which allowed themselves to be filled by the decanter. One floated over to Cally, who took it gently and gave the contents a sniff.

Malfoy watched her with amusement as he took his own goblet and drank deeply, never taking his eyes away from her. Cally took a sip of the wine. It tasted like rich, red fruit with a hint of smokiness. She took another sip, feeling the warmth creep through her veins.

"Do you mind if I smoke?" he asked, reaching for the same black smoking pipe she had seen him use before.

"No, go ahead." The wine was quickly relaxing her, and she felt less on edge already.

"My wife detests it," he said in an offhand manner, as he tamped down the tobacco.

"Where is she?" Cally asked curiously.

He lit the pipe with his wand, and after it had begun to smoke he replied casually, "Narcissa is away with my son, Draco, in France. She decided to take him for a short break at our home in Nice before the World Cup."

"Will they be attending with you?"

"Draco will," said Malfoy fondly. He clearly doted on his teenage son. "Narcissa is not a fan of Quidditch."

"It must be nice to have a son to share your passions with," Cally replied, taking another sip of wine.

"Draco is a talented Quidditch player himself. He plays Seeker for Slytherin," he said boastfully, drawing on his pipe. He exhaled, watching her intensely with his cold, grey eyes. "You are a very fine player yourself, I hear. What was your position?"

"Chaser," replied Cally, flushing with pleasure at his compliment.

"I thought so - you've got the build. Lithe and fast," he said, his eyes sweeping over her small frame. He drained his goblet, then waved his wand again, refilling it. "I was Chaser myself, you know, back at Hogwarts."

Cally raised her cup to her lips and was surprised to find that he had refilled hers as well. She took another sip and replied, "I think it's the position that true Quidditch fans like to play. Chasers see the most action of the game, and definitely have the most fun."

Malfoy nodded in agreement. "Will you be attending the World Cup?" he asked.

"Not unless I'm needed as security by the Ministry. Scrimgeour hasn't released the rota yet," she replied. "I expect I'll be able to see some of the match, at least."

Malfoy nodded again, looking thoughtful.

The two of them chatted for what felt like hours. They spoke more about Quidditch, about the Ministry, Hogwarts and Cally's family.

"Your mother is a witch, isn't she?" Malfoy enquired casually. Cally sensed that he had wanted to ask about her blood status for some time. "Ursula, isn't that her name?"

Cally nodded, surprised. _I suppose my Mum isn't all that much older than he is; they were probably at Hogwarts at the same time,_ she thought.

"She was a Prewett before she married into my father's family and became a Lockhart," she answered. "She runs an apothecary's shop in Hogsmeade. As you probably know, my father and uncle are the only two wizards in the family, apart from my late grandmother. I have two Muggle aunts on my father's side."

"The Prewetts are a very old wizarding family," said Lucius. He chuckled suddenly. "But I suppose that must mean you are related in some way to Arthur Weasley? His wife was a Prewett."

Cally smiled. "Molly Weasley is my mother's first cousin."

"How charming," he replied, sounding amused. He leaned forward to pour her more wine by hand, rather than using his magic. "Of course, most of the pure-blood families are all related in some way, however distantly."

Cally took the goblet and drank. She was becoming quite intoxicated, but not just by the alcohol. The man in front of her had proven to be more than a handsome face, more than money, more than influence. _He's genuinely interesting,_ she thought to herself as she watched him curiously.

"Would you like a fire?" Malfoy asked suddenly, stirring her from her reverie. "There's a bit of a chill in the air, don't you think?"

"A fire would be nice," Cally agreed. She tucked her legs up on the sofa, her wine goblet resting loosely in her hand. She watched Lucius crouch down before the empty grate and conjure a fire there.

"I must say, your company has been much appreciated. It is... pleasant... to spend time with the fairer sex, for once," he said, seating himself back down in the armchair. "I seem to usually surround myself with fussy old warlocks."

Cally briefly wondered what this meant for his marriage to Narcissa if he never seemed to spend time with women.

"It certainly makes a change from my usual after-work routine," she agreed.

He looked flattered, running a long finger around the rim of his goblet lazily. Cally glanced at her watch and was shocked to see that it was already eleven o'clock.

Malfoy had seen her check the time and said, "I'd better get that book for you, hadn't I?"

He waved his wand, muttered, " _Accio_ ," and a few seconds later a heavy, leather-bound book came zooming into the room. He grabbed it smoothly and passed it to Cally. She looked at the cover curiously.

 _Aurors in Battle: An Account of Wizard Involvement in Muggle World Wars I and II_ by Theseus Scamander

"I thought you might find it interesting," Malfoy said, watching her intensely.

"...Thank you," Cally breathed. She opened the book to the inside cover and found a message had been written there.

_For CL,_

_I hope you find this an enlightening read._

_Yours, LM_

"I can _keep_ it?" Cally exclaimed.

Lucius smiled. "Of course. I was in Flourish and Blotts a few days ago with Draco, purchasing his new school books, when I found that and thought of you," he said. "Draco was rather confused of course - he thought I wanted to read it myself."

"Not your cup of tea, Lucius?" Cally asked with a grin. She was keenly aware that it was the first time she had used his first name.

He smirked. "I told him it was for my new Auror friend. Draco was very curious, but I'm sure he will be able to meet you soon."

Suddenly he moved to sit next to her on the sofa. "I've been thinking, Calliope..." he continued. "If I was to say, _acquire_ youas personal security for the World Cup, you would be able to watch the entire match..." He looked at her earnestly with his pale, grey eyes.

"That would be _amazing_!" Cally exclaimed. "But you'd have to speak to Scrimgeour... I'm not sure if he would allow me to be assigned to you exclusively. In fact -" she went on, remembering her conversation in Scrimgeour's office that day, " - I seriously doubt he would release me from active duty."

Lucius shifted on the sofa, staring into the fire. "I shall have a word with Fudge," he said, before draining his goblet for a third time.

Cally sipped her own wine and watched him. His long, white-blond hair hung around his face, highlighted by the light from the fireplace. She could smell the pipe smoke that clung to him, mingled with that masculine, spiced scent he always seemed to emanate. Her eyes strayed to the wrist of his left arm, draped over the edge of the sofa. _That's where the mark is,_ she thought, swallowing another gulp of wine. _Is his getting darker too?_

He suddenly turned his head to look at her. "What are you doing here?" he asked softly, almost as if to himself. "Why did you come?"

Cally's pulse quickened. "I don't know," she replied quietly. "I was intrigued, I suppose."

"You could get me in serious trouble," he murmured, looking into his empty goblet.

"I'm not planning on arresting you," Cally laughed.

Malfoy chuckled. "I should hope not," he said. "My life has been, ah... _complicated_... recently," he continued, running a hand through his gleaming hair.

Cally was feeling very tipsy by now. The room was starting to blur at the edges. She shook her head slightly to clear her vision.

"My wife..." he began, and then hesitated as if unsure if he should go on.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Lucius," interjected Cally in a gentle voice. "There's no need."

He smiled at her and sighed. They looked at each other for several seconds until Cally turned away, unable to bare the intensity of his gaze. Her heart was racing and she suddenly felt very hot.

Lucius stood up abruptly and said, "It's getting late. I wouldn't want to be responsible for you feeling tired at the office tomorrow."

Cally was catapulted back to reality. She set her goblet down, stood up and smoothed down her dress. "Thank you for the wine," she said.

"Not at all."

They made their way back into the hall, their footsteps echoing slightly in the cavernous space. Lucius went to get her jacket and held it open for her to slip back on. Cally approached him and turned around, pushing her slim arms into the sleeves.

"Er... well, thanks again," she said awkwardly. "For the book, I mean. And the wine, it's been..." She faltered as he reached a hand out to touch her cheek softly.

Lucius held her face for a long moment before murmuring, "You really are astonishingly beautiful."

Cally's mouth had gone very dry. She had never been called 'beautiful' before. She had never really given anybody the opportunity.

"Lucius..." she whispered hoarsely, "You can't... you're-" she had been about to say 'you're married', but he placed his thumb on her lips and she fell silent.

"Don't tell me what I cannot do, Miss Lockhart," he said, and he bent his head to kiss her.


	5. The Red Dress

Cally opened her eyes blearily. She had a slight headache. She turned her head gingerly to look at the clock on her nightstand. The hands revealed that it was half past five in the morning, meaning she still had plenty of time to get ready for work. She yawned and stretched, trying to recall if she had anything important to attend that day.

Cally's eyes suddenly widened. The events of the previous evening had just hit her like a slap in the face. Her stomach flipped over as she touched her lips. Malfoy had kissed her... _Lucius Malfoy had kissed her_.

Cally jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror. Her reflection was flushed, her eyes bright. Her heart was pounding.

 _What have I done?_ She felt a wave of guilt wash over her and settle in her chest. _He's_ _married_.

 _No_ , she chided herself, _I didn't kiss him_. _He kissed me_. It wasn't her fault if the Malfoys were having problems in their marriage.

She showered and dressed quickly, trying to stay focused but finding herself unable to concentrate on anything she was doing.

 _It was just one kiss_ , she thought, _nothing else happened_. Lucius had bent down to kiss her, one hand still cupping her face. It had been a long, slow, solitary kiss. She remembered the scent of his breath. Wine... and tobacco... and something else - fresh and citrussy. She had kept her eyes open in surprise - she now recalled, mortified - but his had been closed. When he had finally pulled away, her jaw had fallen open in complete shock at what had just happened. He had reached out and pushed her chin up gently, closing her mouth. He had laughed. Then, placing his hand at the small of her back, he had escorted her in silence to the waiting fireplace. The last thing she had seen before the flames had swallowed her was his handsome, pale face, a trace of a smile upon the lips that had just kissed her.

Cally shook herself. She had been staring into space as she was about to pick up her wand and leave for the Ministry. The memory of last night was coursing through her veins. She suddenly felt very hot.

***

A little later Cally was striding into the Auror Office, determined to try and put Lucius Malfoy out of her mind so she could focus on her work.

"Morning Tonks!" she said with forced brightness. "Morning Kingsley!" Her colleagues returned her greetings jovially as she seated herself at her desk.

She had just read through that day's memos when a shadow fell over her desk. Looking up, she was startled to see Rufus Scrimgeour standing before her. Her mind immediately began to race again, thoughts of last night flooding back in technicolour.

"Cally, may I have a word in my office?" he asked quietly.

Tonks made an _ohhhh_ sound, as if Cally was a naughty student being summoned to see the Headmaster.

"Y-yes," she replied, following him into his office.

Scrimgeour seated himself behind his large desk, strewn with parchment and interdepartmental memos, and gestured for her to take one of the chairs opposite. She obeyed, trying desperately not to betray her nervousness on her face.

"Cally, I've just had an owl from Fudge telling me that he's assigning you to the Malfoy family as personal security at the Quidditch World Cup," he said, lacing his fingers together and wresting his chin on them.

Cally's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. She had forgotten all about that. _He works fast,_ she thought to herself.

"R-really?" she stammered.

"Indeed," replied Scrimgeour. "Following our conversation yesterday, I'd like you to attend with the Malfoys."

Cally's eyebrows rose even higher. She hadn't been expecting that.

"Okay..." she said.

"Not that I have much choice, of course," Scrimgeour muttered drily. "The Minister said Malfoy was quite insistent... he asked for you by name."

Cally swallowed. "At least I can keep a close eye on them, sir," she said.

" _Exactly_ ," said Scrimgeour. He shuffled some papers on his desk and extracted one. "I've had some intelligence that Malfoy may be linked to an anti-Muggle group who're rumoured to have plans to cause some trouble at the match." Her heart rate increased rapidly. He went on, "I don't know what this interest in you is about, Cally, but it would pay to have eyes on him at all times. And his son, too."

"Draco is only fourteen, sir. I doubt he would be involved in any criminal activity."

"You never know with the Malfoys," he replied. "The word is that Narcissa Malfoy won't be attending, which makes this all the more suspicious. Lucius is more likely to act if his wife isn't there."

"But if he was going to start some kind of civil unrest, why would he hire me?"

"That's what we don't understand. He must be aware that through you, the Auror Office is able to keep close tabs on him," said Scrimgeour, his brow furrowed. "Whatever he's planning, it can't hurt to have you on his case."

Cally nodded.

"We'll speak about this again soon. The World Cup is only a couple of weeks away now."

"Alright sir," she said, and returned to her desk promptly.

Lucius must have sent an owl to Fudge first thing that morning. If he still wanted her with him at the World Cup, he couldn't be regretting what had happened the previous night. Cally flushed with pleasure at the thought, and then instantly felt guilty again.

"Everything okay with the boss, Cally?" Tonks asked.

Cally forced a smile. "Yeah. Just some admin stuff," she replied.

***

A few hours later Cally found herself deeply immersed in a report on the possible whereabouts of the escaped mass murderer, Sirius Black. She had almost put Lucius Malfoy out of her mind, when suddenly a purple paper plane zoomed towards her desk and struck her sharply between the eyebrows.

"Ow! Bloody things..." she grumbled, opening up the memo and scanning it impatiently.

_To Miss C. Lockhart, Desk 6, Auror Office, Level 2,_

_You have received a letter and parcel from Mr L. A. Malfoy to your_ _post box_ _. Please collect at your leisure._

_Hope you are well!_

_MoM Post Room_

Cally's heart skipped a beat. She checked her watch and realised she would be on her lunch break in five minutes. She glanced over at Tonks, who was busy writing a report of her own.

"Coming to lunch in a minute, Tonks?" Cally asked casually, beginning to pack her things into her bag.

Tonks looked up. "Oh, I'd love to..." she said miserably, "But Mad-Eye is coming into the office to help me prepare for my Auror exams..."

"Okay!" said Cally brightly. "Tell Moody I said hello!"

"Will do."

Cally hurried out of the office and made for the Atrium. The Postal Room was off to one side, next to the Owlery.

She exited the golden elevator and picked her way through the employees coming and going during their lunch hours. Eventually she approached two large wooden doors where a soft, hooting sound came from within, punctuated with the occasional screech.

Inside the Postal Room there was a permanent smell of owl droppings from the hundreds of birds housed in the adjacent room. Cally found her post box amongst the many others lined up against the wall, and with a tap of her wand she unlocked it and reached inside.

There was a large package wrapped in brown paper, with a letter sitting on top. She pulled them both out and made for the canteen, where she found an empty table in a secluded corner.

She picked up the letter first. The envelope was heavy parchment and sealed with black wax, stamped with the letter 'M'. Her fingers shaking slightly, Cally slit it open and read the short note.

 _I would like you to attend the_ _opening_ _of the_ _new_ _Comstock Art Gallery in Chelsea with me this_ _evening_. _The event starts at half past seven. I will meet you outside the main door._

_Yours,_

_L_

_PS. Wear the dress_ _._

Cally dropped the letter, her head spinning. This was too much. What was he thinking, wanting her to go to a gallery opening with him? What would people say if they saw them together? And the way it was phrased... he hadn't even _asked_ if she would like to go. It was a command! Her skin prickled in annoyance.

She glanced at the parcel before reaching for it and undoing the string that held it together. Cally gasped. Inside was an exquisite red dress, covered in beautiful glass beads that sparkled and shimmered in the light.

She checked her watch again. She still had most of her lunch hour left, so she made a quick decision. Carefully re-wrapping the dress, Cally slipped the letter into her bag, gathered her things and went back to the Atrium. From there she apparated directly into her flat.

Cally found herself standing on the patterned rug in her lounge, breathing hard. She dropped the parcel containing the dress onto the coffee table and stared at it. What should she do? Should she just ignore his summons? Should she send an owl and tell him he had no right to demand her company like this, that it wasn't appropriate?

She sat down heavily on the cream sofa, her head in her hands. A minute or two passed, then she decided that she couldn't make _any_ decisions on an empty stomach, so she went into the little galley kitchen to make some toast.

She sat at the small table by the kitchen door, glaring at the dress as she ate. What bothered her most was the way this whole situation was sending her emotions completely haywire. Cally wasn't used to so much drama and turmoil in her life. Things had been fairly ordinary, possibly even a bit _boring,_ until that fateful day she had met Lucius Malfoy. Now she seemed to be on an emotional rollercoaster and she wasn't sure how to get off. It was exhausting.

And yet... somewhere in the back of her mind there was another, barely-seen-before version of Cally that found all this rather exhilarating. There was something terribly seductive about her predicament. She bit her lip when she recalled the kiss again for the hundredth time that day.

She stood up and crept over to the dress, gently picked it up and carried it into her bedroom. She removed it from the packaging and laid it out on the bed. She exhaled heavily in disbelief as she ran her eyes over it.

The bodice was entirely covered in intricate red beads and flowers, and the full silk skirt cascaded to the floor with a small train at the back. The straps were cut to be off the shoulder, with a sweetheart neckline that was just the right balance between elegant and revealing. _The colour would go perfectly my hair_ , she thought wistfully.

Cally suddenly felt foolish. How on earth could she go to this event without causing an uproar at work? Here she was, mooning over a ballgown like a silly schoolgirl. She sat down on her bed with a sigh, then flopped backwards so she was lying down. She turned her head to look at the dress, as if it were a companion lying next to her.

She wished she could talk to Tonks about all this. She'd been in and out of more relationships than Cally could count. But this was a married man, a Malfoy, and Tonks's uncle to boot.

Cally suddenly cringed, covering her mouth with her hands in horror. She hadn't even considered that she had _kissed_ Tonks's _uncl_ e last night. It made the whole thing seem a thousand times worse, as if Lucius were an old man. But Cally knew from Ministry intelligence that he was forty - not very old at all.

 _He's just about old enough to be my father though_ , she thought grimly, _older than Uncle Gilderoy..._

She sat up quickly, resolving to return to work and consider her options. With one last glance at the incredible dress, she stashed her wand in her pocket, turned on the spot and apparated back to the Ministry.


	6. Malfoy and Moody

Cally was assigned as security at the entrance to Gringotts bank that afternoon, which gave her ample time to come up with a simple plan. As she stood to one side of the grand marble columns, nodding to the various witches and wizards coming and going, she finally reached a decision. She was going to go to the event that evening with Lucius. She was too intrigued by him not to. Her idea was to wear her Ministry of Magic identity card, which some Aurors did if they were working in an official capacity outside of Ministry premises. This would make it appear as if she was with Lucius as a hired bodyguard, and would hopefully avoid suspicion.

 _A hired bodyguard in a ballgown_ , she thought to herself, bemused.

Cally was genuinely excited to go the event itself. The Comstock Gallery had been built in honour of the famous magical portrait painter, Magenta Comstock, who had died a few years ago. But it was more than art and culture that was pulling her; it was the prospect of spending more time with Lucius. She felt terribly conflicted. One side of her was gleefully anticipating seeing him again, but the other wanted to run a mile. Cally knew he had a mysterious past and that any association with him could potentially endanger her career - not to mention her reputation.

The afternoon sun was blazing. Cally rubbed her sleeve across her brow and squinted down the street. A familiar figure was bustling up Diagon Alley towards the bank. She was short and rather plump, with very bushy red hair. She was carrying a shopping bag that looked like it was full of books.

"Molly!" Cally exclaimed, waving happily at the woman.

"Calliope, how lovely to see you dear," she puffed, ascending the steps and dropping her heavy bag at her feet. "They haven't got you working outside in this hot sun have they?"

Cally smiled and nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. How are you? How're Ginny and the boys?"

"They're very well, thank you," she replied. "I've just been to Flourish and Blotts for their new school books," she went on, gesturing at the overladen bag.

"I bet they must be so excited about the World Cup - Arthur mentioned he'd got tickets!"

Molly rolled her eyes. "It's all I hear about at home, honestly!" she sighed. "Are you able to go, dear? You were always such a good Quidditch player."

"Er - s-sort of," she stammered. Molly cocked an eyebrow. "I'm attending as security," Cally explained.

"Working _again!_ You poor thing, do make sure you aren't being forced to do too much. I can ask Arthur to have a word with Kingsley if you like - they're old friends," she said kindly.

"Um... well, I've sort of been hired as private security... for an individual..." Cally said awkwardly. "Not that it matters - I'm sure I'll get to see some of the action!"

"I see..." said Mrs Weasley suspiciously. "They aren't expecting trouble are they? Who's hired you?"

She hastily shook her head. "No... no trouble," she replied, wanting to reassure Molly, who Cally knew was very protective over her family. "It's... er... the Malfoys... they're the ones who've hired me."

Molly looked alarmed. "The _Malfoys?_ I had no idea you knew Lucius. But I suppose you must be keeping close tabs on him at the Auror Office," she muttered. " _Do_ be careful around that family, Cally. They're bad news."

Cally tried to look resolute. "Don't worry, Molly. Scrimgeour's quite pleased with the assignment, he says I can make sure they don't get up to anything."

"Yes, I suppose..."

The two women spoke for a few more minutes. Molly asked after Cally's mother and her Uncle Gilderoy - who she had always had a bit of a crush on - before saying her goodbyes and dragging her heavy bag into the bank.

Cally slumped against a marble column. Talking about Lucius Malfoy was becoming rather stressful. Everybody insisted on constantly warning her about him and his family, but she wondered if any of them really knew him at all. She wondered if she did either.

***

Cally managed to clock off at six o' clock and hastily apparated back to her flat, where the dress lay waiting on her bed. She took a shower, taking the time to wash her hair. _If I'm going to a fancy event I need to look the part_ , she thought.

Within the hour she was ready. The dress fit perfectly and her hair was pinned up elegantly on top of her head, with a few curls tumbling free around her face and shoulders. She had carefully applied her make-up, giving herself delicately smoky eyes and a dark red lip to match the dress. It had been so long since she'd gotten dressed up for anything that Cally barely recognised the woman staring back at her in the mirror.

She went to her nightstand drawer and extracted her Ministry identity card. With a wave of her wand a black ribbon streamed out of the tip, threading through the hole at the top of the card, and knotting itself around her neck. _At least I'll look like I'm there on some official capacity now,_ she thought.

Cally had never been to the site of the new Comstock gallery before. As she wouldn't be able to apparate to the event directly, she would have to take the Tube. Luckily, Cally's flat was located in West London - not far from Chelsea - so she could apparate to her closest station and then ride the train for a couple of stops.

She donned her formal black cloak and gave herself one last check in the mirror, before taking a deep breath and turning on the spot.

She appeared in an alleyway just around the corner from Fulham Broadway station. It was still very warm outside, the evening summer sky beginning to turn slightly pink. Muggles were milling about in the street beyond the alley. 

Nervously, Cally made her way into the station. She wasn't confident at using Muggle transport, but she managed to buy a ticket with the help of a friendly male commuter. He gazed at her as the ticket emerged from the machine, and suddenly blurted out, "Sorry, but you're absolutely gorgeous. Do you think I could have your number?"

Cally was confused. "My number? What do you mean?"

He laughed. "Your phone number, you know?"

"I don't have one."

Now he looked confused. "What? You don't have a phone?"

Cally grimaced. She would be late if she didn't get a move on. "Er... sorry... I'm, um... foreign," she said vaguely, and waved goodbye as she turned away and went through the automatic barrier.

People stared at her on the train. She supposed she must look a bit strange to Muggles, wearing an elegant ballgown with a cloak. Cally distracted herself by reading _Aurors in Battle_ , which she had brought in her evening bag, and avoided their prying eyes.

A few minutes later she arrived at Sloane Square, the closest tube station to her meeting point with Lucius. She made her way out onto the street, turned right and began walking down the King's Road, searching for any sign of Malfoy or the gallery.

It was twenty past seven by now, and a few early revellers were sitting outside bars and restaurants, enjoying drinks and food. Cally continued walking down the road, ignoring their stares. She clutched her wand in the pocket of her cloak.

Suddenly something caught her eye on the opposite side of the street. There, standing outside what looked like a nightclub, was a tall, blond man wearing a dark cloak and a familiar look of disdain on his face. Cally smiled and approached cautiously. He noticed her immediately and breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Miss Lockhart, thank heavens you're early," Lucius said with a scowl. "I didn't want to stand outside this ridiculous Muggle establishment for another second. Why they decided to put the entrance to the gallery _here_ I'll never know." He took her hand and led her over to a door in a recess next to the club that she hadn't noticed before.

Cally, hotly aware of his hand in hers, noticed that the smart red waistcoat he was wearing under his cloak matched her dress. His long hair was tied back with a black velvet ribbon.

Lucius stopped in front of the door and turned to face her. He placed both hands on her shoulders and held her before him, running his grey eyes over her to appraise her appearance. "Calliope..." he murmured. "You do scrub up rather well."

Cally smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself, Lucius."

He reached into the central fold of her cloak, making her flinch. Frowning, he pulled out the Ministry ID card and said, "What's this?"

"I couldn't very well attend as your guest, Lucius," Cally replied, taking the card on its ribbon from him. "If I wear this it'll look like I'm here as your guard."

He gave her a small smile. "Intelligent girl," he said. "Shall we?" He gestured to the inconspicuous black door behind them and she followed him inside.

***

The party was certainly an upmarket event. It took place in the main gallery - an enormous room with an incredibly high ceiling. Paintings lined the walls all the way up to the roof, where a spectacular golden chandelier hung, adorned with thousands of glittering candles. A series of balconies and balustrades allowed visitors to view even the highest artworks on display.

The other guests were dressed as lavishly as Cally and Lucius. Many greeted him with a curt nod or a verbal acknowledgement, and several wizards gave Cally a bow after they had said 'good evening' to Lucius. A few of the female guests frowned at her, probably wondering who on earth was on Lucius Malfoy's arm. She tried to flash her Ministry ID card at them as subtly as she could.

"Can I get you something to drink, Calliope?" Lucius asked, plucking two glasses of champagne from a tray that floated past.

"Lucius, I'm not supposed to be drinking if I'm on duty," Cally whispered.

He bent his head so close that his lips brushed her ear. "But you aren't on duty," he said in an undertone. Cally's skin had erupted in goosebumps from the contact. He smelled divine; he was wearing a pleasant cologne that smelled expensive.

"Well... if you insist," she replied, and took the champagne flute he offered.

They began to mill around the room, ascending hidden staircases to reach the balconies where they could view some of the higher paintings.

"This is my great grandfather, Septimus Malfoy," Lucius was telling her, pointing at the painting of a thin, silver-haired gentleman in front of him, who was peering down at the crowd haughtily.

Cally took a sip of her champagne and surveyed the portrait critically. "He was rumoured to have placed an Imperius curse on the Minister for Magic, in order to control the Ministry without being elected," she said, remembering her History of Magic classes at Hogwarts.

Lucius snorted and raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "A Ravenclaw through and through, aren't you, my dear?" he drawled, his grey eyes twinkling.

Cally was having a nice time. People generally left them alone, and if they did approach it was to talk to Lucius. Some asked who she was and she told them the truth - that she was an Auror at the Ministry. A few even recognised her and pointed out that there was a portrait of her uncle on one of the upper levels.

Lucius talked to her constantly as they moved around the gallery. He obviously had a passion for both art and history and was very knowledgeable about the subjects of most of the paintings. Cally listened attentively, nodding along as she sipped her drink and nibbled canapes. She was enjoying his company immensely.

It was when they reached the highest level that it happened. In the middle of the balustrade was a stone bench. A rather strange-looking man sat there, taking regular swigs from a silver hip flask and eyeing everybody suspiciously as they passed.

"Oh no..." muttered Cally, spotting him before Lucius did. She quickly extracted her arm from his and stepped away from him, trying to make it look as if they didn't know each other.

"Cally...?" asked Lucius with a questioning look, but it was too late.

"LOCKHART!"

Cally winced. "Hello, Mad-Eye," she said, turning to face the man who was now limping towards her. Lucius had stopped dead in his tracks.

"I'm glad you're here, Calliope, I've seen that slimeball Malfoy here tonight and I was going to tail him -" he began, but he stopped as his magical eye zoomed around in its socket and fixed suddenly on Lucius, who was standing over to one side.

"Alastor -" said Cally, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him as Moody began to launch himself at Malfoy.

 _"You!"_ Moody growled, trying to bat Cally's hand away. "I've got a bone to pick with you, Malfoy!"

"Mad-Eye, _please_ , you're causing a scene..." Cally hissed, still trying to push him away from Lucius.

Moody ignored her. "Why are your Death Eater pals skulking around my house, Malfoy? Are you putting them up to it?" he roared.

Lucius's lip curled. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about, Alastor," he replied contemptuously.

"No? Why is my sneakoscope going wild every night then? Shadowy figures in hooded cloaks, watching the house! I swear one of them tried to bewitch my letterbox two nights ago!"

"Then I suggest you take that up with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Moody, and stop bothering _me_ ," spat Lucius. "And get your hands off her." He pulled Cally away from Mad-Eye, who was by now trying to pick her up and forcibly move her aside. People were beginning to stare at the commotion.

"You should arrest that scumbag, Calliope! Put him in Azkaban with the rest of his friends!" shouted Moody as Lucius continued to pull Cally away from the balustrade and down a quiet passageway.

"Lucius, it's okay," Cally said, trying to remove his hand from her arm.

He looked angry. "I'm sorry you had to hear that," he said, glancing over her shoulder.

"It's alright, he's not following," she adjusted the straps of her dress, which had been knocked down her shoulder in the scuffle. "Poor Moody, he's going a bit funny now he's retired..."

"My sympathy for that man is limited," Lucius replied with a scathing look. "Come on, I think we should leave."

He placed his hand in the small of her back and led her down the various staircases and out onto the ground floor of the gallery.

"Picture for the Prophet, Mr Malfoy?" called an unshaven man brandishing a camera at them.

"Move aside."

"Who's your pretty little friend, sir?" he asked, a flash bulb going off in Cally's face. "Care to say a few words for the Prophet's review of this event, ma'am?"

Cally ignored him, blinking away the lights in her eyes as the camera continued to flash. She drew her wand and said firmly, "You heard the man. _Move aside."_ She waved her ID card at him and he stopped taking pictures and shrank bank into the corner.

Lucius followed in Cally's wake, smirking. "Quite an effective bodyguard, aren't you, Calliope?" he murmured as they made their way back out onto the King's Road in Muggle London.

"At least if that photo appears in the Prophet tomorrow I'll look as though I'm doing my job," Cally muttered, putting her wand away.

Lucius took her hand in his. "Come," he said. "I know somewhere close by where we can be away from prying eyes." And with a loud crack they vanished.  
  
  
  
  



	7. Explanations

Cally found herself standing hand in hand with Lucius in front of an extremely upmarket hotel. It was a grand, neoclassical building - all pink marble columns and high windows. A uniformed doorman stood next to a sign saying _The Belmond Hotel_.

"This is a Muggle hotel," she observed, frowning. "Are you sure about this, Lucius?"

He smirked. "Very sure."

Together they walked up the stone steps and made for the large glass doors stamped with the hotel's logo.

The doorman nodded to them politely. "Good evening, Mr Malfoy," he said. "Good evening, madam."

"Evening, Price," Lucius replied smoothly.

The glass doors slid open automatically and they strode into a large lobby area. A desk sat before them where two receptionists, one male and one female, were busy tapping away on keyboards.

Cally pulled on Lucius's hand, forcing him to stop.

"You _own_ this hotel, don't you?" she hissed.

He smiled, looking rather smug. "I do indeed. One of many such establishments under the Malfoy stewardship," he said. "And the best part -" he whispered, leaning in very close, "- is that they have no idea what my wife looks like as she's never been here." And with that he took her face in his hands and kissed her firmly on the mouth.

Cally broke away first. Lucius stroked her cheek softly with the back of his hand and sighed. "I suppose I have some explaining to do. This place has a rather nice bar where we can talk."

They made their way past the front desk, where the female receptionist smiled and said, "Mr Malfoy, so nice to see you again! And Mrs Malfoy - charmed!"

Cally returned the smile weakly. Being mistaken for Lucius's wife was making her head spin.

They entered a glitzy bar area, where Lucius approached a low, private table next to a beautiful fountain in the shape of a jumping fish. Cally followed. Two plush leather sofas sat either side of the table. They sat on one together, their backs to the rest of the bar. A jazz quartet was playing in the corner. The waiter approached and asked what they would like to drink.

"Champagne. Your finest," Lucius replied, catching Cally's eye.

"Very good, sir."

As he went off to fetch their drinks, Cally leaned forward and said, "I didn't expect all this, Lucius. I can pay for the champagne."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Calliope, it is my desire to treat you a certain way. If you don't want to be a part of it, then please, by all means..." he gestured towards the door. "Besides, that champagne is over three hundred pounds a bottle, and I don't know what that is in Galleons, but I think it would leave quite a dent in your finances."

Cally sat back in the comfortable leather chair. "I just mean..." she said delicately, "...that I'm not used to all of this." She waved her arms around, indicating their lavish surroundings. "I'm not like you, I haven't had the same kind of upbringing... You - you make me nervous," she admitted for the first time, turning pink.

He placed his hand over hers, enclosing it entirely in his warmth. "Cally..." Lucius said in a serious tone. "There is nothing to be nervous about. I understand that this might not be what you're accustomed to. But please, indulge me."

She hesitated and then nodded, her bright blue eyes gazing into his steely grey ones. "Alright," she said simply, and he squeezed her hand as the waiter returned, setting down an ice bucket.

"I think it's time I was honest with you," Lucius said, after their glasses had been filled and the waiter had retreated.

Cally swallowed nervously, remaining silent.

"Firstly, you're probably wondering why I'm sat here with you... and not my wife," he began.

"The thought had crossed my mind," she murmured in reply.

"Indeed. Well... to put it simply, Narcissa and I have grown rather - er... _distant_... over the last few years," he said, fiddling with one of his cufflinks. "There have been many disagreements. Where to send Draco to school, for example."

"She didn't want to send him to Hogwarts?"

"No, _she_ did," he replied. "It was I who didn't want him to attend. I had been a governor at the school for several years and found it to be sub-optimal for Draco. I would have preferred to send him to Durmstrang."

Cally frowned. Durmstrang was renowned for having a curriculum heavy in studies of the Dark Arts.

"Anyway," he went on, "Narcissa and I... let's just say we've grown into two very different people from when we first met. She doesn't spend much time at the manor these days. She prefers swanning around the country, staying at our various other homes and spending my money."

"Why don't you just separate?" Cally asked innocently.

He laughed without mirth. "She would never allow it. Certainly not while Draco is underage. I think she worries he would prefer to live with me," he mused, swirling the champagne around his glass. "And she values the prestige of my family name."

"Does he get on with his mother?"

"She is far too soft on him. Draco is a good boy, but he requires a firm hand to mould him into the man he needs to become," he replied.

Cally took a large gulp of wine. It sounded like any other failing marriage.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It must be hard for you."

He looked up at her, his face unreadable. "That brings me to my next point," he said. "Life _has_ been hard due to the uncomfortable state of my marriage. I had thrown myself into my various roles in order to provide a distraction... business owner, school governor, benefactor... and then two weeks ago I discovered the best distraction of all... _you_."

Cally's stomach lurched.

Lucius went on, still watching her. "You may have been in my home under inauspicious circumstances, but it mattered not. You were - _are -_ the most exquisite creature I have ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on. The fact that you seem to be completely unaware of your own beauty makes you all the more endearing."

Cally was blushing furiously. "Th-thank you," she stammered. She hesitated, then said, "I hope I might be more than just a distraction for you."

He smiled. "Somehow I feel that there was something significant about us meeting each other," he replied. "I understand we don't really know each other yet. But I want to get to know you, Cally, most desperately."

"I... I'd like that too, Lucius," she said.

He smiled at her response, but it faded quickly. "We need to talk about that maniac, Alastor Moody, and his absurd accusations. I swear, Cally, I have absolutely nothing to do with whatever he thinks is happening at his property. Any current activity involving The Dark Lord or his followers is nothing that I have any part of," he said seriously.

Cally took a deep breath and sat up. "Lucius..." she began. "I'm an Auror. There's an entire file on you alone in my office." He looked alarmed, so she went on. "I haven't seen it - most of it, anyway. Whatever you might have done in the past - the allegiances you may have had and the views you once held are no business of mine, if you say you've reformed. It's not my place to accuse you of anything. Since we've met you've done nothing to make me suspicious. If you had something to hide, why on earth would you want to get close to _me,_ when I could run to Scrimgeour at any moment and turn you in? I'm perfectly happy to spend time with you."

He nodded. "I'm happy to hear it."

"Of course, my job does come first, Lucius. If I see or hear anything that might incriminate you, I may be forced to take action," she said.

He chuckled. "I rather like it when you threaten me, Calliope."

Cally sat back and frowned. She hoped he was taking her seriously, because she had meant what she said.

He smiled again. "Message received, my dear. Now - a toast," he said, taking her hand once more and raising his glass. "To new beginnings!"

"To new beginnings," she repeated as she clinked her glass with his, a stream of little silver sparks flying around their hands. "Lucius!" she giggled, turning around to make sure none of the Muggles had seen. He winked.

The next couple of hours flew by as they talked and finished their champagne. They had moved closer; Lucius had one arm around Cally's shoulders, the other resting lightly on her thigh.

"... and then..." Cally snorted with laughter, "Tonks accidentally knocked the examiner headfirst over the desk!"

Lucius chuckled heartily. "I'm surprised she passed any of her exams at all..."

Cally wiped a tear away from her eye, still laughing. "Oh, she failed that one... She's had to retake her Stealth and Tracking exam about three times," she said, grinning. "But she passed Concealment and Disguise with flying colours!"

"I suppose she will be qualifying soon?" Lucius asked, draining his glass.

She nodded. "I expect she'll have done the last of her exams by next summer."

Cally finished her own champagne, intending to go to the bathroom to freshen up. As she began to stand he pulled her back down and she dropped onto his lap, all the wine having made her a little unsteady. He leaned in and kissed her passionately, entwining his fingers in her hair. Cally's heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She had never been kissed like that before, not by anyone. One of his hands had snaked it's way up the split in the side of her dress and was caressing her upper thigh.

When they broke apart, she stood up and said, "I'm just off to freshen up."

He smiled. "Don't keep me waiting."

Cally found her way to the bathroom and leaned over the sink, breathing heavily, dizzy with exhilaration. _No-one has ever made me feel like this_ , she thought to herself, gazing at her reflection. She touched up her make-up in the mirror. Her thoughts couldn't help but stray to what Lucius had said about the Death Eaters as she reapplied her lipstick. He hadn't denied being involved with them in the past. But she hadn't used Legilimency to find out if he was being truthful about his contact with them in the present. She scoffed at herself. _It won't make for a good relationship if I keep pointing my wand at him in order to read his mind_ , she thought.

Cally bit her lip. She wasn't at all sure that she was doing the right thing by getting involved with Lucius Malfoy. He frightened her, not because of his dubious past or even the lurking shadow of his wife, but because she couldn't seem to control herself around him. The primal feelings he was inspiring in her were completely alien, and she found it difficult to deal with them.

With a deep breath and a final adjustment of her hair, she left the softly lit bathroom and made her way back to where she could hear the jazz quartet still playing.

Lucius had disappeared. Cally's eyes narrowed as she looked around the bar, searching for any sign of him. Suddenly, her eyes fell upon a key and a note that had been left on the low table they had been sharing. She picked them both up and read the small notecard that bore the hotel's logo.

_Come to the Penthouse Suite._

_L_

Cally's mouth had gone rather dry. Her mind began to race. She wasn't stupid, she knew what most men wanted. Why else would he have gone up to a room? _Not just a room_ , she thought, _'the Penthouse Suite'_... 

_I could just leave_ , she thought wildly. _I could end this now before it goes any further._

She stood there, paralysed, wondering what to do next. Then that hidden side of her, the part that very much wanted to go up the suite with Lucius, began to emerge. _It's about time you got involved with a man,_ it whispered. _You deserve it. You've put so much into your education and career that you've completely neglected your love life._

Cally's lips spread into a smile of grim determination. The wine had made her bolder. _I do deserve some excitement in my life,_ she thought. She squeezed the key in her hand and made for the Penthouse, nodding at the receptionists as she passed by.


	8. A Night at The Belmond

The lift doors opened at the floor marked with a 'P'. Cally stepped out into a smart hallway with a white marble floor. A door ahead of her displayed a plaque that said _'Penthouse Suite - Private'._ A 'Do Not Disturb' sign had been hung on the handle.

She approached and inserted the key in the lock, turning it with a click. The door swung open to reveal an opulent suite, decorated in shades of red and gold. Lucius stood with his back to her, holding a crystal tumbler full of amber liquid and staring at the view of London through the ceiling-high windows.

"These colours are very... Gryffindor," Cally mused as she approached him.

He turned and smiled. "I shall have to have that rectified," he said, placing the glass down carefully on a table by the enormous king-sized bed. "Would you like some Fire Whiskey? I keep a bottle of Ogden's here."

"Please," she said. She had butterflies in her stomach. _A little Fire Whiskey might help to calm my nerves,_ she thought.

Lucius poured her a drink from a familiar-looking bottle.

"My father used to drink Ogden's," she said suddenly.

Lucius paused, holding the bottle in mid-air. "He was a fine man," he replied quietly.

Cally's head snapped up. "You _knew_ him?"

"He was in his third year at Hogwarts when I started at the school," he said. "Your uncle was in my year."

"I hadn't put two and two together," she said.

He took a swig of his whiskey. "No matter. I'm trying not to consider my age in comparison to yours," he said with a smirk.

Cally laughed. "You're not _old_ , Lucius. You're only forty."

"Old enough to be your father."

"Barely. Besides, age doesn't matter to me," she said, draining her glass. She made a face. The strength of Ogden's Old Fire Whiskey was no laughing matter.

"Another?" Lucius asked, pointing at the bottle.

Cally shook her head and replied, "I'd better not." She was feeling a lot more mellow now. She sat down on the bed, gazing at the view of the city beyond.

Lucius continued to sip his drink, watching her. They made eye contact. Cally's heart leapt with the intensity of his gaze. She knew what was about to happen; she could see it all unfolding in her mind's eye. Her stomach went into knots at the thought. 

Lucius set his glass down and moved towards her purposefully. Cally watched him approach, her eyes wide. He pushed her firmly down onto the bed, then he was suddenly on her, kissing her with an urgency that she had never experienced before. Her body was on fire. The excitement was electric, unable to be contained. She wanted him like she had never wanted anything in her whole life. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and she caught her fingers in his long, silky hair. She relished his weight upon her body, pinning her to the bed.

Her heart skipped a beat as she realised she could feel his arousal pressing up against her. _Should I go through with this?_ she thought suddenly. The hardness that was pushing insistently between her legs had quickly made the situation very real. _Am I truly about to let this happen?_

She panicked, opening her mouth to tell him to stop, that she should go, that this was insane. But no words came out. She just stared at him, panting slightly. He smiled, reaching a hand down and stroking her cheek tenderly. The affection in this gesture reassured her, and she closed her eyes, leaning into his caress.

His touch on her face abruptly ceased, and Cally opened her eyes to find he had pulled out his wand. She squirmed beneath him in alarm, but he only murmured, " _Evanesco."_ She gasped. Her dress had vanished completely, leaving her in only her underwear.

"Lucius..." she whispered, trying to cover herself.

"No..." he said, pulling her arms away from her breasts. "Let me look at you."

Cally had gone completely scarlet, her chest rising and falling heavily as he ran his eyes over her body hungrily. She had hoped that she might be able to get away with not telling him, that she could wing it and he never need know. But this was foolish; it would surely be obvious to him. And besides, Cally actually _liked_ Lucius. She _wanted_ him to know, no matter how embarrassing it was. 

"Lucius..." she said again, quietly. "I need to tell you something... I... I've never done this before..."

He looked startled. She put her hands over her face, feeling mortified. Suddenly she felt him pulling them away, exposing her eyes, and he said, "Wait... _never?_ This - this would be your first time?"

She nodded meekly.

He looked hesitant. "Cally... if you don't want to..."

She took a deep breath. "Honestly, I'm not sure what I want anymore. But I'm here. I'm with you. I just thought you should know."

He nodded. "Well... if you're sure," he said softly. "I can be gentle." She smiled, and then he said, "Get into bed. Make yourself comfortable."

Cally obeyed, relieved that he was taking control. She slipped under the soft sheets and turned to watch him.

Lucius stood up and removed his waistcoat, draping it over the back of a nearby chair. Then he untied his cravat and deftly unbuttoned his dress shirt, exposing his lightly muscled, pale torso. He lay the shirt on top of the waistcoat, and then his hands moved to his trousers. Cally averted her eyes, feeling embarrassed.

She glanced up as she felt him pulling the covers back to join her. She felt a jolt of fear as she caught sight of the tattoo on the inside of his left forearm. She knew it would be there, but it was still a shock to see it in real life.

Before she could say a word he pulled her close to him and they kissed again, their bodies pressed tightly together. His chest was warm and firm, and his skin emanated that wonderful, masculine, spicy scent. Cally could feel him pressing against her once more, and she soon forgot all about the Dark Mark.

One of his hands strayed to her breast, slipping inside the cup of her bra to get to the soft skin underneath. She felt a surge of excitement, causing the bulb in the table lamp to go out with a popping noise. Lucius felt the surge in her magic too, because he swiftly removed her bra and began to kiss her neck passionately, one hand still on her breast.

His fingers gently pinched her nipple, making her squeak in surprise. He chuckled softly at her reaction, before guiding her hand to his crotch. He pulled himself free of his underwear, and her fingertips made contact. This was all new to her, and she explored him curiously with her hand, feeling the velvety smoothness of the skin, the stiffness of the length of him... He gave a quiet moan as she gripped him in her fingers and began to work her hand up and down.

She buried her face into his neck as she pleasured him, listening to his heavy breathing and enjoying the feeling of control. She felt half-mad with lust for him, her body craving his like an addict for a drug. Cally knew the danger of the situation was exciting her too.

 _This man was a Death Eater, he's married, he's terrifying, and he's letting me do this to him..._

She had become aware of every minute detail, every strand of his hair that tickled her face, every stroke of her hand, every soft gasp in his breathing. They continued for several minutes before Lucius stopped her, gently moving her hand away. Cally gave him a questioning look.

"My turn," he whispered. He held her close, the hand that had been cupping her breast slowly moving down between her legs. He tugged her underwear off, leaving her completely naked. His fingers found her to be soaking wet with desire, and his excited intake of breath at this discovery made her want to squirm in delight.

He touched her so lightly and delicately at first that it felt as though his fingers were made of silk. She sighed, opening her legs a little wider. Their lips met in an intense kiss. He slowly began to increase the pressure and speed of his touch, making little circular movements with his fingertips. Cally was starting to lose herself in the moment. She was already so aroused, it wasn't going to take much. Sudden waves of uncontrollable pleasure began to emanate from within her. She gasped, her back arching as she gripped handfuls of the bed sheet. He held her close when he realised what was happening, only taking his hand away when she had finally fallen still.

Lucius kissed her flushed cheek lightly as she began to gradually calm down, and whispered, "Was that good?"

"What do you think?" she said breathlessly.

He smirked, moving on top of her and pinning her down on the bed.

"I think you should be ready for me now," he murmured, slipping out of his underwear.

Cally swallowed nervously. This was the part she had been most anxious about. He knelt above her, spreading her legs and gazing lustfully at what lay between them. He lowered himself slowly until he was gently pressing against her, but there he remained, looking into her eyes. "Are you sure, Cally? There's no going back after this."

"I'm sure," she said steadily.

He lowered his head so he could kiss her as he continued to push harder. Cally winced as the pressure began to build. She gasped and pulled away from his mouth, screwing her face up as she experienced a sharp stinging pain. Then it suddenly stopped, replaced with a curious sensation of fullness. It was done - he was inside her.

Lucius stayed there a moment, watching her and breathing hard. Cally wrapped her arms around him, feeling him shudder with pleasure as he slowly pushed his entire length into her. The sensation was strange, but not unpleasant.

He began to move inside her, burying his face in her long, dark hair as it lay spread out on the pillow. The movement hurt her a little, but she gritted her teeth, determined to let him enjoy it. As he continued to push in and out, the discomfort lessened and her body began to relax.

He was soon increasing in speed and force, moaning in her ear. A thin sheen of sweat coated his back. Cally dug her nails into his skin, making him gasp. She whimpered as he bit her shoulder hard in response. He obviously liked the noises she was making, because he began pounding her even harder. This made her cry out, sending him completely over the edge. He was making nearly as much noise as she was.

Eventually he lay still, panting heavily. Cally's arms were still wrapped around him. He kissed her forehead tenderly and began slowly, gradually, to withdraw from within her. She winced again as he pulled out. He rolled over to lie on his back, one arm flung upward over his head.

After a few seconds he turned to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, just about," she smiled.

He stroked her cheek lovingly before sitting up and pulling his underwear back on. "Do you mind if I smoke?" he asked.

"Not at all," she replied. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, glancing back at the sheet. There was a small, vivid patch of blood there. Although she had expected it to happen, it was still a shock to see such a stark reminder of what had just occurred.

Lucius turned as he was tamping down his pipe and saw what she was looking at. "Don't worry," he said gently, picking up his wand from his trouser pocket and said, " _Tergeo._ " The bloodstain vanished.

"Thank you," Cally said, standing up and reaching for her own wand. She conjured a pitcher of water and two glasses, and poured one for herself. The cool liquid was blissfully refreshing; she hadn't realised how parched she was. "I think I'm going to have a shower," she said, and he nodded.

"The bathroom is just through there," he replied, pointing to a door on the left.

Standing under the hot water of the shower, Cally cleaned herself off from the events of the evening. Her head spun, her mind reeling at the gravity of what she had just done. She didn't regret it, but as Lucius had said... _'there's no going back after this...'_


End file.
